Outagamie to close juvenile justice center

5:04 PM,
Apr. 4, 2013

Lead teacher Dave Erickson teaches a class in the juvenile detention center at the Outagamie County Justice Center in 2011 in Appleton. County officials say changing approaches to juvenile justice and declining crime rates mean fewer children are being locked-up for delinquent behavior; prompting the county to close its juvenile detention center in 2014.

Written by

Jim Collar
Post-Crescent Media

Outagamie County officials say changing approaches to juvenile justice and declining crime rates mean fewer children are being locked-up for delinquent behavior; prompting the county to close its juvenile detention center in 2014.

Next year, the county will contract for juvenile bed space. Sheriff Brad Gehring has plans to repurpose the 28-bed juvenile detention center to house its most vulnerable adult inmates. The unit would allow jail staff to offer closer supervision.

Closing the juvenile detention center has been a topic of discussion for some time due to declining numbers, ...